Finality
by Judge-Douglas-Mason
Summary: Has Grissom lost his last chance of happiness with Sara? Who comes t her aid when she's in pain?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Wish they were but they're not. Que Sera Sera.. 

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Finality ----------------------------

"I hate you. If you're going to keep messing with me then I'm gone." she said as she grabbed her coat from the hook in the hall. "You know how I feel about you, you've admitted how you feel about me, but this age stuff is bullshit. Why don't you let me decide what's in my best interest and if someone is too old for me."

She grabbed the door knob and flung the door open. It bounced off the wall, leaving an indentation in the plasterboard.

"You're going to miss me when I'm gone. And by the time you realize what's happened it will be too late for you to try and fix it" she shouted over her shoulder as she stormed down the breezeway and out to her car.

She climbed in and sped off into the night. He would never see her again. She was gone and it was his fault.  
------------------------

Grissom sat in his office and stared at a pile of paperwork that had accumulated over the day. His head snapped up as he heard a knock on his door. The door opened slowly and Catherine entered. She sat in the chair facing his desk and looked at him. After a minute she took an envelope out of her pocket and placed it on his desk in front of him. He stared at it, but did not open it.

"What's this?" he asked

"Sara left it with me last night. She was pissed. What happened, I thought things were great between you two?"

Grissom shifted in his seat and continued to look at the plain white envelope on his desk.

"I'm in no mood, Catherine. Please leave."

She stood slowly and looked at him.

"Whatever it was, you better fix it. She said some things last night that don't bode well for you."

And with that she left his office, closing the door behind her. Grissom looked at the letter on his desk with such intensity, it was almost as though he was willing it to open itself so he wouldn't have to touch it. He stared for a few more minutes when he finally found the courage to open it.

"You have stomped on my heart for the last time. We have known each other for too many years for you to try and pull some shit like this. I loved you more than any other person in my whole life. I would have done anything for you. I thought we had a great thing going, but again, with your walls. You have to learn to let people in. I'm gone. Enclosed is my resignation. No two weeks notice. I don't think I could stand to be around you for two more weeks. Don't try to find me, you won't be able to.  
You lost out big time, Grissom."

These words were like daggers through his heart. He felt a certain amount of tightness in his chest as he re-read the letter. Then the tears came with such volume he could not stop them even if he wanted to. He lay his head in his hands and watched as his tears pooled on the floor. He had to find her and make things right. He was not very good with people, lacking in the proper social skills, but he had to try. He missed her already. He rose from his desk and walked into the hall. He headed for the parking lot and once in his truck, was off to find the love that he had pushed out of his life, possibly forever.

As he pulled into Sara's parking lot he saw her pull out and onto the main road. He followed her, flashing his lights and honking his horn to get her to pull over. Finally they came to a red light and he saw this as his opportunity to get to her. He pulled next to her car and rolled down his passenger window. He shouted to her, but she didn't even look.

"Sara. Sara pull over." he shouted

The light turned green and she burned rubber through the intersection. He was left in a cloud of grey smoke as he sat and watched her go. He floored his gas pedal and caught up with her. He followed her all night until she stopped for gas somewhere way outside of Vegas. As she exited the vehicle he jumped out of his truck and ran to her. He caught her by the elbow and she, consciously or otherwise, cracked him in the face causing his nose to bleed. Ignoring the pain in his face he tried again, this time he put his hand on her shoulder. She grabbed him by the wrist and shifted her weight backwards and flipped him over so he landed in the dust. He stared up at her from the flat of his back. He could not believe the sheer amount of anger in her eyes as she ordered him,

"Leave me the hell alone. I have nothing to say to you. Go home Grissom."

She walked into the gas station and paid for gas and on her way out he grabbed her from behind and restrained her wrists at her waist. She stomped on his foot with the heel of her boot, but he did not flinch. He lifted and carried her to a picnic table under a tree. He sat down with her between his legs and while still retraining her, wrapped his legs around her waist. She was completely immobile.

"You're going to listen to me." he demanded

No answer

"I messed up big time. I realize that, now. I didn't know just how much you loved me until I got your note. I am determined not to lose you again. My heart broke today."

"My heart had been broken when I wrote it. Broken by you. I am not your doormat, Grissom. I have feelings and will not let you trample them any longer." she spat at him.

She threw herself backward into his chest, knocking him off balance. They fell to the ground and she got up and began to pump her gas. Grissom lay there for a minute wondering why his words had no effect on her. They had come from his heart, they were true. What was he going to do?

She finished pumping and returned the nozzle to its catch. As she walked toward her door Grissom jumped up and ran to her. She was sitting in the car, ready to start the ignition when he placed his hand on the door frame.

"Sara, listen to me. I love you. I don't want to lose you again"  
"Well, you should have thought about that earlier. Now move your hand before I close the door on it." she ordered

He did not move. She slammed her door and caught the tips of his fingers. He recoiled in pain. She rolled down her window and said that she had warned him. He continued to protest, saying that he loved her and would do anything she asked, if she would only stay. As she pulled out and onto the road he followed her screaming,

"I LOVE YOU!"

But she was gone. He stood in the middle of the street. Then he fell to his knees and began to cry the life out of him. She was gone and he had made her leave. It was his fault. After a few minutes he hobbled back to his car and drove back to the lab. When he entered he was approached by Nick and Warrick. They looked at him. His nose, broken. His back, agonizing. His right hand, crippled.

"Man, what happened to you?" asked Nick.

"You look like hell. You get mugged"  
"Nothing" he said sadly as he held his crippled hand

"Doesn't look like nothing. You better go to the hospital and have those looked at." suggested Warrick

Just then Catherine walked up to him and noticed his considerable damage.

"You went after her, didn't you"  
"What, Sara did this?" asked Nick pointing to Grissom's injuries

"I'm fine. I deserve what I got." he said as he turned to go to the hospital

He returned hours later with his hand in a cast and his ribs wrapped. He sat in his office and looked at the one piece of happiness that he had left in his life. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a photo of he and Sara while on vacation. She was smiling lovingly at him and he had his head bowed down, about to kiss her. The tears came in force as they pooled on the photo. She was gone and he had pushed her too far. Now the only real things he had to remember her by were the injuries that she had inflicted upon him.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a week since Sara had left and Grissom looked like he had been hit and run over by a Peterbuilt eight-teen wheeler.  
He had not shaved, his normally well groomed hair was crazy and periodically hidden under a baseball cap. His eyes had large circles under them and he was in a generally pissy mood. Everyone had been steering well clear of him and for answers to their questions or other such work related matters, they'd been going to Catherine. Even though Gil had been coming into work every day, it was like he wasn't all there, in more ways than one. If one were to peek through the blinds of his office, they'd regularly see him staring at the photo of he and Sara, frequently bursting into tears. Finally, after day seven of his moping and uncharacteristically increased anti-social behaviour, the team had a chat and elected the person that would be sent to speak with him. This was not a task that anyone looked forward to, but realizing that it was all for the good of the "Team, the messenger swallowed hard, squared their shoulders and knocked on his office door. 

"Come in if you want." was the reply

Opening the door and slowly stepping inside, they were hit by the sudden stench of something that smelled dead. Looking over at Grissom, the messenger sat across from his desk and sighed deeply.

"What do you want, Jim?"

Shifting in his seat and reorganizing his thoughts, Jim counted to ten, then spoke.

"Well, some of us are really worried about you, Gil. You look like you haven't bathed in a week, you've lost weight and,  
frankly, man, you're looking a little scary." Jim stated

"I'm fine, Jim. Really. There's nothing wrong with me"  
"Is that so? Then how do you suppose to explain these?" he asked, taking Gil's hand and looking at his fingernails

"They're filthy, man. When was the last time you took a shower?"

"What day is it"  
"Oh, God, that's nasty on so many different levels."

Standing up and walking around the desk, Jim looked at Grissom and sighed. Pulling Gil's chair back, Jim pulled him up and grabbed his jacket. Walking him to the door, he spilled.

"Gil, you go home and we'll hold things together here. The important thing is for you to get some rest. You remember last year, that case we had with the Sara twin? You remember what you were like? Well, you looked better then. I say that as a friend. Go home."

Realizing that he would have been fighting a losing battle, Grissom conceded and went home. Jim watched as he climbed into his truck and drove off. Back inside, everyone was waiting in the break room for an update.

"I sent him home. Catherine, you'll have to play boss for a while." Jim stated

"That's nothing new to me." she replied

Driving the streets of Las Vegas, Gil quickly found himself in front of Sara's apartment. He sat in his truck and turned the radio off so he could be alone with his thoughts, such as they were. He had already gone through "denial" and was now firmly planted in "anger". How could she leave me? he asked himself. She's always thinking of herself, that selfish little bitch. Doesn't she realize what she's doing to the team? These were all thoughts that passed through his mind as he sat parked out front of Sara's apartment.

It was around 04:00 when Grissom woke up, and looking around, he knew exactly where he was. Looking up at Sara's window, he was shocked; the light was on. She's been gone for a week and her light is still on? he asked himself. Maybe there was a new tenant, he thought. No, that's not it; he could see the shadow of her banker's lamp on the small table by the balcony window. Slowly and cautiously, he climbed out of his truck and climbed the steps to her door. Standing out on the landing, he could hear movement within and as he took a deep steadying breath, he drew his weapon. This was the first time in a long time that he'd pulled out his gun, but if there was someone inside robbing the place and he was in a position to do something about it,  
he was sure that Sara would appreciate it.

Trying the knob, he could tell that the door was not locked. He stepped back and breathed deep before making his entry. Turning the knob fully, he nudged the door open with the index finger of his left hand as he trained his weapon on the sound that was coming from the back room. Closing the door behind himself, Gil sidestepped his way through the place until he came to stand just outside the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and as he stepped inside, he called out.

"Las Vegas Police. I'm armed, so come out with your hands on your head."

From the bathroom, he could hear water running. Why would a burglar run the water, he asked himself. But not wanting to take any chances, he kicked the door in and pointed the muzzle of his gun at the Italian glass shower doors. Again, he called out.

"Las Vegas Police. Come out with your hands up"  
"I don't think you really want me to do that." came the reply

"As I said, hands up and step out." he asserted "Ok, if you insist"  
"I do. Slowly and no sudden moves"  
"Oh, puh-leez. Tell me, where would I hide a weapon?"

And with that, Sara stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, then stood on the bathmat in front of Gil.  
His eyes wide and his jaw dropped, he stood and stared at Sara. A look of contempt on her face, she gave a slight laugh and pushed past him. As she walked by him, Gil turned to watch her fish some clothing from her wardrobe and slip into a pair of sleeping shorts and tank top.

Padding into the living room through to the kitchen, Sara put on a fresh pot of coffee and turned to see Grissom shuffling his way through the room. Stopping by the front door, he reached for the knob and was a bit shocked when she called to him.

"Hang on a minute, Gil."

Hearing this, he turned to see her coming up behind him. He stood still while he awaited the inevitable tongue lashing that he was sure was to come. After all, he had entered her apartment, kicked in her bathroom door and drawn a gun on her. She would surely be pissed. But to look at her, she didn't seem pissed. She actually looked like she was having fun. You know, stepping out of the shower naked and seeing the look on his face and all. That look alone was worth replacing her bathroom door.

She took his hand and led him to the couch where she sat down and turned to face him. Organizing her thoughts, Sara swallowed hard then spoke her mind.

"Grissom, why are you here?" she asked, simply

"I thought you were being robbed." he stated

"Yeah, I get that, but what made you come over tonight? Why aren't you at work"  
"Oh, Jim sent me home. He said I looked like hell and that I smell funky"  
"Well, you kind of do. Look like hell, that is"  
"I've been a bit out of sorts since you left. I missed you. That's why I came by; to think." he explained

"And do you think a lot, parked out front of my home or is this a new development?" she asked

"No comment?" he said, almost as if he were asking permission not to answer

That was alright, Sara had her answer just by looking in his eyes. Getting up and going back into the bedroom, she went through her wardrobe and when she had emerged she had a small stack of clothing in her arms. Sitting back down next to Gil, she placed them in his lap and grinned.

"Have you eaten"  
"No"  
"Ok, take a shower and then we'll sit down and pow wow things out, ok?"

Not disputing her, he stood and made his way into the bathroom for a much needed shower. While freshening up, Grissom took the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the familiar smells of Sara Sidle. Her shampoo, her soap, her body scrub and her shaving foam. After showering, he looked under her sink and found a razor that he'd left there a few weeks prior. By the time he was done he felt like a brand new man, and smelled like one too. Looking at himself in the mirror, he gave a lopsided grin and winked at himself.

In the kitchen, Sara was making stir-fry with veggies, mushrooms and some beef strips just for Grissom. When he stepped out into the living room, he could smell the wonderful smell of her cooking. Sara was an excellent cook, far better than he was, so it was both an honour and a pleasure to be present at meal time. Leaning on the breakfast bar, Gil asked if he could help in any fashion. To this, Sara pointed to the rice pot and asked him to fluff it up. Taking a wooden spoon, he mixed up the rice and replaced the lid on the pot.

"Anything else?" he asked

"Yeah, pick something to drink." she directed

Perusing the wine rack by the fridge, he selected a nice red wine. Taking a waiter's tool, he opened it and let it breathe while he set the table. By the time he had finished, the meal was ready to eat. Sitting down, Sara reached her hand across the table and made contact with Grissom. His initial reaction was to withdraw, but seeing that she had initiated the contact, he left his hand where it was and just gave her a slight squeeze. Things were definitely going a lot better than he had anticipated, or so he thought. Looking him straight in the eyes, she began.

"Nothing's changed, Griss. I've still resigned and I'm still angry as hell with you. I took some time away to spend with friends and came back here to clear out my apartment. I've been offered a job in Frisco and I mean to take it. Its more money, more vacation time and less stressful." she explained

"You don't have to leave. We can work things out." he pleaded

"We're beyond working things out. I've put the past behind me and I suggest you do the same before you burn out or worse."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The small moving truck had just been locked up and Sara's car was on the tow-trailer. It was bright out and as Grissom watched Sara pull away, his heart sank within his chest and a lone tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek. Donning his sunglasses, he climbed back in his truck and drove to the lab.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It had been about a day and a half since Sara had left and Grissom still wasn't quite himself. His desk was still a mess, but at least he didn't smell like a decomp anymore. That's when he got the call. He sat at his desk, staring at Sara's yet to be tendered resignation when the phone rang. He picked up the handset slowly and spoke softly. The voice on the other end of the line was Sara's new boss in Frisco calling to ask if she'd left yet. Grissom informed the man that she had left about two days prior, to which the gentleman responded that she never made it. At hearing this Grissom became very worried and panicky. Sara had gone missing and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it, as there was a lot of territory between Vegas and Frisco.

Days and weeks passed and no word from Sara or her new boss. It wasn't until Nick requested some time off that Grissom became suspicious. Nick said he was going to see a "friend" in Frisco. Believing that Nick knew more than he was letting on, Grissom approved Nick's vacation time and took the itinerary that Nick had handed him. He figured he'd better give Grissom some idea as to where he'd be staying in the event of an emergency or something along those lines. As soon as Nick left Grissom's office, Gil picked up the handset of his desk phone and called his travel agent, making flight arrangements to follow Nick out to Frisco.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Two days later and as Grissom drove up I-5 until he hit Mount Shasta and the lodge that Nick was staying at. Grissom had made arrangements to stay at a bed and breakfast not far from the lodge and as the sun rose, he sat in his car sipping coffee when he suddenly noticed two very familiar figures leave the lodge and head into the woods. For reasons that could not be explained Grissom's blood began to boil. Nick had known where Sara was but didn't even bother to tell him. As he watched them disappear into the woods Grissom couldn't help but notice that Sara was limping, her arms were scratched up and she had a bandage on her head.

When they were both out of sight, Grissom jumped out of his car and entered the lodge. Passing the unmanned registration desk,  
he climbed the stairs and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket that he'd written Nick's room number down on. He passed several rooms before he came to Nick's and when he did he gently turned the knob and the door opened. Looking around, Grissom spotted a manila folder on a table on the far end of the room. Carefully, he opened it and was horrified at it's contents. There were hospital discharge papers, doctor's notes and prescriptions for several pain killers and sedatives. Reading through the notes, one word stuck out more than any other; Amnesia due to head trauma.

His coffee having kicked in, Grissom opened a door which he assumed lead to a bathroom, however he was mistaken; Nick and Sara had adjoining rooms. This didn't help his mental state one iota. He did a cursory sweep of the room when his eyes settled on a waste paper basket by the bed. It looked like someone had removed some bandages as there were cotton balls that smelled of blood and hydrogen peroxide while others smelled of rubbing alcohol. There were also some bloodied up suture strips and more paperwork on the bed and Sara's wallet. He opened it and pulled out a card that read "In case of emergency, please contact Nick Stokes at KL5-1492". There was also a photo of the two of them that appeared to be a candid shot in the break room back at the lab. Why would she carry a photo of Nick with her? He asked himself.

Looking down at his watch, Grissom figured that they wouldn't be gone long and made a hasty retreat to his car and back to the bed and breakfast he was staying at. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Grissom's head began to spin with the possible scenarios that might have lead to Sara's apparent current medical condition. But the one thing that bugged him more than anything else was the wondering about why Nick was there. At this thought Grissom fumed. He should have been the person to contact and not Nick.

Over and over in his head he kept telling himself that he HAD to find out what happened and maybe this would help him try to smooth things out with Sara. That is if she even remembered him at all. He remembered watching the two of them walking into the woods and a slight look of confusion on Sara's face and the fact that she was walking a comfortable distance beside Nick,  
almost like she wasn't quite sure who he was. Maybe he was there to try and help her remember.

One could only hope.


	3. Chapter 3

In Nick's room he and Sara sat at the small table talking. He was trying to help her remember what had happened to land her in hospital and her life before the accident. It was difficult to say the least. Her memories were patchy at best and this is why Nick had brought his lap top and a selection of photos of the team in various situations; parties, gatherings, official functions and single shots of the lab crew and night shift. As they talked, Sara could remember little, but that was why Nick was there…………to help her remember her life.

"What's the last thing you remember before I picked you up from the hospital?" he asked

Straining to recall, her head began to throb as she looked at some of the photos.

"I remember a building. Single story. I remember a locker room. I remember him." she said, pointing to a photo of Grissom

"Good, good. He's your supervisor. Do you remember his name?" he prodded

"No, but I don't get a good feeling from this picture. I feel sad, but I also feel angry." she said, turning the photo face down on the table

"Do you remember him?" he asked as he pointed to a photo of Greg "He looks familiar. I get a good feeling from this photo. He made me laugh. He was fun"

"Great. This is great." Nick exclaimed "How is it that I don't really remember any of these people, but when I woke I remembered you?" she asked

"The doctors said that your memory would come back in stages. Don't worry, you'll remember everything. Just give it time"  
he said encouragingly

Just then Nicks cell phone went off and when he answered it he was surprised to see that it was Grissom. Cautiously, he answered it.

"Stokes. Yeah, I got in just fine. Is there a problem at the lab? Oh, ok. My friend? She's fine. Just someone I haven't seen in a while. We're just playing a little catch up. Ok, see you in a couple of weeks."

Closing his cell, he looked at Sara who was still looking at the photos. She looked up and gave a lopsided grin.

"Who was that?" she asked

Fishing through the stack of photos, he pulled out the one of Grissom and showed it to her.

"Why is he calling you when you're on vacation"  
"Who knows?" Nick replied

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sitting in his room, on the edge of his bed, Grissom thought about how vague Nick was and it angered him. Usually Nick was very forthcoming with information, but this time he was as vague as he'd ever been. Want and frustration filled him up to the point of nearly getting into his car and driving up to the lodge to see Sara for himself. However, to maintain the illusion of Nick and Sara being alone, Grissom waited until early one morning when he saw Nick drive by, alone in his car. Assuming that he was going for food and knowing it would be at least an hour before he got back, Grissom got into his car and drove up to the lodge in search of Sara.

Again, the receptionist's desk was empty and that afforded him the opportunity to go upstairs unseen. Knocking on her door, he looked down at his watch and became impatient with waiting. He knocked a second time and as he did, the door to Nick's room opened and Sara stuck her head out. Seeing Grissom, her breath hitched in her chest and she found it difficult to breathe. All the emotions she felt form looking at the picture of him came flooding back to her with such force that she staggered backward into the room. Slowly and cautiously he approached her and as he did she continued to back up until he was at the door and she was by the bed. Careful not to get too close, he just looked at her but said nothing. Sara scampered over to the table and picked up Grissom's photo and looked at it.

"Who are you and why are you here?" she asked, breathing shakily

"You don't remember me"  
"Sorry, no. I do have this." she said, handing him the photo

Grissom looked at the photo and it was of him sitting behind his desk filling out paperwork, almost as though the photographer just said heads up and Grissom looked up with a slightly irritated look in his face. Not wanting Nick to return and find him there, in his room, Grissom had an idea.

"You want to go for a walk?" he asked

Not entirely sure, but given the fact that Grissom's photo was in the stack with the others she decided it was safe. She didn't remember this man, but having the picture told her that she knew him well enough to trust him.

They set out following the same path as she and Nick had the previous morning until they reached an outcropping of rocks that looked down across the valley. They sat there for a while talking about things in general. It wasn't until about an hour after they'd settled down, looking out over the treetops below, that Grissom began to ask questions of his own. As the wind blew and treetops swayed he reached out his hand in an attempt to hold hers. She immediately withdrew and Grissom returned his hand to his lap. Turning to her, he sighed.

"You don't remember me, but you remember Nick?" he asked

After a moment's hesitation she replied.

"The memory of him was the first memory I had; the memory of his name. The nurses found his contact card in my wallet and the next thing I knew he was there at the hospital. He said we needed to get away, that we need peace and quiet for me to recover my memories. There's so much about myself that I want to know. What kind of person was I? Was there anyone special in my life or was I alone? Was I good at my job? Did I like my work? Did I make a difference?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. One question at a time." Grissom said halting her with his hand

"Nick is all about the photos and remembering other people. I want to know about myself. Can you help?"

"Ok, first question. What sort of person were you? You were determined. You were resourceful. You were dedicated, almost to a fault." he explained

"That's good to know." she said

" Second question. Was there anyone special in your life? For the most part you were content to be alone, but in recent months you'd started seeing Captain Brass. You tried to keep it a secret, but in a lab full of trained investigators it was hard. Most of them know but choose to keep quiet."

"That's good to know. I'd hate to go through life alone, with no one to love and to be loved by in return." she said

"Ok, your last question. You were very good at your job; one of the best I've had under me. You loved your job. You even had a police scanner in your flat because you don't often sleep. When the call goes out over the band, you're usually one of the first on the scene, even if its your day off. And yes, you did make a difference in many people's lives. Do you remember what happened?"

Slightly hesitant, she replied.

"Well, the doctors notes and Nicholas got a hold of the police report and from piecing the two together, it would seem that en route to San Fransisco you had an accident. You were blindsided by a semi and your truck and trailer were thrown into a ditch. It was hours before they could get me out and by that time, apparently I hit my head pretty hard and was unconscious for quite some time. It wasn't until I woke up in hospital that I remembered Nicholas. The hospital released me into his custody and we came here. He says he wants me to remember. He wants me to remember my life; my past. He says that I left a lot of people behind that were important to me and I to them. He says that I went and took another job, presumably because of you. Apparently there was a lot of tension between us and I became too emotionally involved with you, but you didn't have the time for me. You were scared of your own emotions and didn't want to get too close, lest you get burned. That's how he explained it. Is he right or can you shed some new light on all of this?" she explained

Taking a few moments to arrange his thoughts, Grissom marveled at how correct Nick was in his assessment of Grissom's feelings in regards to Sara. Apparently Nick knew more than he let on.

"No, he's pretty much on the ball." Grissom

"On the ball?" she asked quizzically

"That means that he was right." Grissom replied

Looking down at his watch, Grissom was shocked at how much time had gone by and was worried that Nick would return and worry about Sara and go looking for her. Standing up and taking her hand, Grissom helped her up and they turned round' and headed back to the lodge. On the way, Grissom turned to Sara and looked her in the eyes.

"Promise me one thing." he asked in pleading tones

"Ok. You don't seem as bad as Nicholas made you out to be." she replied

"Don't tell Nick…….Nicholas that I was here. If he knew, he'd freak"  
"Sure. Besides, you're far more interesting than Nicholas. Maybe you can help me more than he can."

"Good. Look, here's my cell number. If you need or want something, don't hesitate to call me, day or night. It'll be our secret, and I'll help you as best I can."

About halfway back from their walk, Grissom caught an earful of Nick calling out for Sara. Taking her hand in his, he rubbed it softly and whispered.

"That's Nick. You go on ahead and I'll hang back a little until you two get inside. Remember, call me anytime."

As Sara followed the path back to the lodge and on her way she met up with Nick who was worried in the worst possible way.

"Where were you. I came back and you were gone. You could have gotten lost or injured or God knows what else. Promise me you won't take off on your own alone again. I was so worried." he said

"I just needed some fresh air and some time to myself to think; to try to remember things on my own…….see what I come up with"  
she explained

"And did you come up with anything?" Nick asked

"I took that picture of Mr. Grissom and sat on an outcropping that looked out over the valley. I stared at that picture so hard I thought I was going to go cross-eyed. I looked at his eyes and you know what I found? I found kindness. I found empathy and I also found loneliness. He looks like a good man." she explained

"He is a good man, but he just keeps things bottled up sometimes. Don't get me wrong, in a lot of ways he's like a father to me, like a mentor. Personally, I think he needs some therapy, but that's just my opinion. He really does care for you, he's just afraid to show it." Nick explained

"Well, I hope he finds someone that suits his emotional needs. No one should go through life alone. Even if they elect to,  
sometimes people need to be told what they want instead of spending years trying to figure it out for themselves."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Late that evening, after Nick had fallen asleep, Sara picked up the phone in her room and called Grissom on his cell. It took a few rings, but he picked up, sleep evident in his voice.

"Grissom"  
"This is Sara. The moon is full and the stars are out. You feel like a walk and talk?"

Grissom didn't expect to hear from Sara so soon, but if she was awake and needed to talk, he'd promised himself that he'd be there for her. In his mind, he saw this as a way to possibly start things anew with her. Maybe he could open up to her, maybe he could let her in. After all, she didn't really know any of their history. However, if he were honest with himself, he'd have to come clean at some point as to why she left; she left because of him. It would hurt, sure, but in the end, hopefully she'd understand. But as for now, since he was awake, he'd take her up on her offer of a moonlight stroll.

"Sure. I'll come and pick you up. I know this trail that runs by a creek and you can look up to the sky and the stars look like pinholes in the curtain of night. Its truly beautiful."

"I'll be waiting on the front porch."

Grissom jumped into some faded jeans, a polo shirt and some trainers. He slid behind the wheel of his car and made his way up the mountain and to the lodge. Seeing Sara on the front porch, Grissom took a deep breath and spoke silently to himself.

"She's beautiful. Just look at the way the moonlight shines on her."


End file.
